274 WANDERINGS AND MEMORIES 



then walked round the docks to spend the night 

 at Smeby's Hotel, which for years had been the 

 resort of English people, and where I did not 

 expect to meet any of the foreign element. Imagine 

 my disgust when I found the place lit up with 

 electric light and a gold-braided German hall porter 

 installed to greet the visitors. On inquiry I found 

 that there was not a bed to be had in the town 

 owing to the recent fire, but as I only required 

 shelter for one night, they would rig up something 

 in a box-room. After hiding my bag and any 

 source of identification, I signed the register as 

 " Dr. Stuart," and descended to the dining-room 

 to have supper. I had hardly seated myself when 

 a pleasant-faced man, whom at first I took to be 

 a Norwegian, came and occupied the chair next 

 to me and began to talk. He asked where I had 

 come from, and about my reasons for being in Nor- 

 way at such a time, when, lying freely, I told him 

 I was a Scotch doctor taking a holiday, and had 

 been fishing up north near Trondhjem, and that 

 my name was Stuart. I then waxed enthusi- 

 astic about the joys of salmon fishing, speaking with 

 a broad Scotch accent. " Oh," he replied, " I 

 thought you were Consul Millais"; at which I 

 laughed, and said there was a man on the steamer 

 of that name, but that he had gone on to Christi- 

 ania, where I was myself going the following day. 

 After this conversation languished, and presently 

 he got up and left the room, evidently taking no 

 further interest in me, but not before I had noted 

 that his clothes and boots were obviously German. 

 Next morning I went to see my old friend 

 the harbour master a man who knew as much 



